And once again, Arthur slept inside the dungeon. No one missed him. His friends didn't exist, and his family didn't care.
The only ones who noticed his absence were the college bullies, which was both hilarious and sad.
Not even the landlord of his crappy apartment missed him. Poor Arthur.
So, even though he'd been gone for two days, no one gave a damn.
Anyway, Arthur got up from the cold ground and looked ahead, gazing at the majestic mountains before him. As the sun rose, the landscape shone brighter than ever.
The mountains stood tall and grand, like guardians of time itself, enduring through the ages. Vast forests stretched across them, filled with countless species of trees, while massive rocks loomed overhead—rocks that could crush Arthur and his goblin companions into pulp.
Beyond the mountains lay a valley, and within it, a hidden pathway awaited. It had once been used by the tribe leader's family.
"As I said, my family once had a tribe here. The pathway up there is hidden, so this is the best place for us. But there are plenty of creatures in this valley…"
That was why the goblin's family had fled long ago. Having a base here was nice, sure—but at what cost? They wanted safety from hunters, but trading one threat for another didn't make sense.
Arthur, however, was more concerned about hunters ruining his plans than the other creatures within the dungeon.
"I actually prefer these creatures," he thought. "That way, my goblins can kill them and give me EXP, hehe." He couldn't hide the smile on his face.
Despite the tribe leader's warnings, every single goblin wanted to live in the valley. After witnessing a tribe being destroyed—not far from where they had lived—the fear still lingered deep within them.
"Are you all ready to move?" Arthur asked the goblins.
Fear was written all over the tribe leader's face—and on everyone else's. None of them dared step into the forest, not even with Arthur's goblins ready to defend them.
Not a single one of them moved.
"We came all this way just for you to give up?" Arthur's voice rang out loudly. "We need to make good use of the daylight, or things will get even harder for us at night."
The creatures lurking in the valley attacked both day and night, but nighttime was clearly their preferred hunting ground. Their best chance was to reach the higher mountain areas before nightfall.
All the goblins knew that. When the tribe leader realized no one was moving despite Arthur's words, he stepped forward and spoke as well.
"He is right. We must move, or we will perish—just like my cousin and his tribe did. Is that what you all want?"
The goblins exchanged glances, and the fear slowly faded. It was replaced by a desperate eagerness to survive and thrive—a will to build a prosperous tribe that could grant future generations a safe place to live.
Arthur smiled when he saw the change in their eyes.
"Let's move," he said.
They all followed him. The tribe leader, who knew the path best, walked beside Arthur as they climbed through the valley, following the hidden pathway concealed within the thick vegetation.
"What about the resources once we are up there?" Arthur asked the leader.
It was vital to know whether there would be water for them to drink and materials to build their tribe.
If not, then things would be a living hell. Arthur didn't want his goblins having to go up and down the valley just to get water.
The tribe leader answered the question with pride.
"There's a river that comes down from up the valley. But up there we can find its source. A big lake with fish, gyakk!"
The creature jumped a few times out of excitement just thinking about the fish they would find in that lake. A place like that seemed perfect to set up a base. Arthur felt confident that things might actually work out for him this time.
Bird sounds echoed through the valley. The footsteps grew louder in the silence. An ominous sense of threat hung over them all. Even Arthur felt it.
"There are creatures who hate us here," he said.
A nod was all the goblin gave him. The little creature was too focused on the surroundings, trying to spot any strange movement before things got dreary.
It was not goblins that were lurking in the shadows. If that were the case, then no one would be scared, especially Arthur, who was their new best friend.
A huge cat leaped from the forest, its pounce was fast and distant. It bit one of the summoned goblins in Arthur's command, ripping a piece of the goblin's flesh with a ferocious bite.
Green blood spurted all over the place. The goblin fell on the ground, lifeless. Arthur's heartbeat rose with the sight. No ordinary creature could kill a goblin so easily.
With the system's aid, he saw the level of that creature: 7. It was high when compared to his own level and the level of his goblins.
"Prepare to fight!" Arthur yelled.
The goblin leader and its soldiers moved into a fighting formation, protecting the women, the elderly, and the kids.
Arthur also commanded his other summoned goblins to move into a formation.
The saber cat sank its fangs into the goblin's skull and dragged the corpse toward the forest's shadows.
"It wants to get away!" the goblin leader shouted, "archers!"
All goblins with bows, be they from the tribe or summoned by Arthur, fired their arrows toward the saber cat.
Arthur didn't stand still. He grasped his spear and tossed it toward the saber cat! The spear flew fast, easily piercing through the right front leg of the saber cat.
That was massive. It rendered the creature's movement, allowing the goblins to easily hit the arrows they fired. The rain of arrows fell on the saber's cat's body.
It was over. Despite having a high level and having tough fur, it was just too many arrows piercing through its body. The saber cat bled out.
[+130 EXP]
The EXP notification that appeared to Arthur made him smile. Higher-level creatures gave more EXP — obviously. He was sad about losing one of his summoned goblins, but he could always summon more!
However, the EXP gains made it all worth it. They still had a long way to the top, so gaining one or two levels wasn't a pipe dream.